


Blame Stubbornness

by themadmaiden



Category: Portal (Video Game)
Genre: Enemies to Friends to Lovers, F/F, Fade to Black, Human GLaDOS, Trapped, because I cannot write sex scenes, do they have an off switch, what are emotions
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-07
Updated: 2017-06-07
Packaged: 2018-11-10 01:12:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,146
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11116767
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/themadmaiden/pseuds/themadmaiden
Summary: Chell and GLaDOS are trapped in one section of Aperture Science. Unfortunately it's the side with mostly offices so getting back to the lab part is going to be difficult.Meanwhile GLaDOS is also still stuck in a human body some scientists managed to transfer her to. She hates it. Now Chell has to deal with a whole other set of annoyances. Like convincing herself that she is in no way attracted to an A.I.It really doesn't help that they're both incredibly stubborn.





	Blame Stubbornness

**Author's Note:**

> Backstory: hey if you can upload a person into an A.I, who says you can’t upload an A.I into a brain dead human?....well science but this is Aperture and a group of equally morally questionable scientists. They decided to get Chell to help them find their way around Aperture as they took it over. And by get her to help I mean kidnapping and dragging her back to her least favourite place in the entire world. 
> 
> The scientists, who aren’t in this story, are to blame for 1. human GLaDOS and 2. why the two of them are trapped in parts of Aperture offices. Spoilers to story that may never get told, the scientists are dead, there was an explosion during an escape. These two facts may be connected. hint, teaming up again might have happened.
> 
> /reworked a bit from an older story I wrote after Portal 2 came out. I have no idea if I'll ever write the overarching story or more short ones like this but until then, here's this tale of how not to start a relationship.

It had started because of stubbornness.

No, that wasn’t right. It had started because the underground offices of Aperture Science had few places to sleep and GLaDOS said she didn’t trust Chell not to run off.

Which was hard to believe if you considered there wasn’t anywhere for her to run off _to,_ as they were trapped there. It hadn’t taken her long to realize that GLaDOS was just scared of sleeping in general and wanted someone else in the room with her. Even the woman she claimed to hate the mere sight of.

So despite the horrible things the AI had done to her in the past, Chell had found enough blankets and material around the offices to make something like a bed. Sleeping on a pile of blankets and lab coats was hardly the strangest thing she’d done in Aperture after all. Sleeping next to the A.I that had tried to kill her multiple times was pretty high up on the list though.

GLaDOS meanwhile just tried to avoid sleeping as much as she could. It did mean that Chell had to remind her more then a few times that she should go to sleep. And she did, because she still needed her to get out of here. GLaDOS always just glared at her at those times. Either making a few biting comments about Chell, humans in general or the thankfully now dead idiots who’d stuck her in the body in the first place. But eventually she could be persuaded to step away from whatever she was working on. She might have hated sleep, but she _was_ aware it was needed.

She usually fell asleep quickly on the pile of lab coats after that. Chell always sat up a little longer, to think. GLaDOS was…well it was strange to see her like this. For so long she’d been only a voice and then a machine and a voice. Now she looked like a totally normal human. GLaDOS, human. It seemed insane to think about at first but she was slowly getting used to it. Something that made her worry, because it only pointed out how long they’d been trapped down there.

Eventually Chell would let herself slip onto the makeshift bed and fall asleep as well. It took her longer, but the quiet breathing of the woman next to her calmed her down as she tried to convince herself they’d get out of here, fix things and not die.

What really started it was the fact that while she looked different, GLaDOS’ personality was pretty much intact. And that she had no consideration for Chell’s personal space. And that she moved in her sleep.

-

The first time Chell woke up to the woman’s arm draped over her, she’d frozen, expecting GLaDOS to wake up and try and kill her. When this didn’t happen she slowly moved, relieved when GLaDOS turned over in her sleep and moved her arm as she turned to the right. Chell had gotten up after that, a near heart attack is not the best thing to go back to sleep with. When GLaDOS had walked past her she’d expected some sort of comment, but apparently the A.I really had been asleep.

Chell brushed it off and continued helping the A.I try and get the area workable. The offices were old and they had to combine several computers together to even get the sort of power they would need to start getting out. It was taking a while. It was at least a distraction though.

Then the next morning she woke up with an arm draped over her. And the morning after that, and the morning after that. The sheer panic didn’t change till the fourth time. Apparently you can get used to anything. Even the fact that, the evil A.I who claimed to hate you, cuddled in her sleep.

Chell did however keep quiet about it. Just waking up every morning and carefully moving out from under the woman’s arm. She wasn’t used to physical contact. Technically GLaDOS wasn’t either, but the woman seemed to enjoy using the fact that Chell wasn’t used to it, for her advantage. Apparently even in her sleep. Chell blamed that for the dreams she’d been having.

-

The next morning Chell woke up and looked over to see GLaDOS was already awake and sitting up.

“Oh, you’re awake.” Her voice was nearly the same as it had been before somehow. Only a little less robotic. Chell just nodded. GLaDOS was smirking at the moment and that was never good.

“I’ve been meaning to tell you. You’re much more talkative in your sleep.” Chell went still. GLaDOS just continued. “Of course anything would be more talkative then you are now. But really...”

“....what?” Chell replied after a moment. GLaDOS however just stretched her arms and got up.

“Oh nothing.” With a highly amused air she went to walk by Chell. Pausing only to lean over and whisper in her ear.

“What sort of dreams _were_ you having about me.... _Chell_?”

She chuckled and walked off, leaving Chell just staring at her feet, wondering if she was in fact still dreaming. She dreamed about GLaDOS a lot. After all the AI had been a main point of her life for so long and how many times did she really have to wake up after thinking she’d been killed horribly by neurotoxin or fire pit? But somehow she was sure this wasn’t what the A.I was talking about.

She didn’t want to think about those though. Because they were disturbing.

And only dreams.

\--

GLaDOS sighed as she finished typing in a long string of numbers.

“Now we just have to wait...again. If it connects we may have a way to get the rest of the facility to listen to us” If there was anything the AI hated, it was waiting for results she should have been able to get in seconds. Chell was sitting on the floor, working on fixing the plant light they’d made for their indoor garden while she listened to the woman either type or talk. Sometimes both at once.

She continued with her work as GLaDOS got off her chair and walked over. “That should take an hour or so.”

Chell nodded, not looking up at the woman as she continued to put the light back together. A bored GLaDOS was always…’interesting’….or horrible, depending on her mood. She remained quiet as GLaDOS sat down on a pile of lab coats next to her.

For a while it was peaceful. GLaDOS just sat there quietly, eventually lying down on her stomach, apparently tired from the lines of code she’d just written. Chell wasn’t about to start anything so it remained quiet.

Chell was focused on keeping the lamp still when she felt something brush across her skin. At first she thought she’d imagined it, but then it happened again…and again….she looked over to see GLaDOS idly tracing a line down her leg with a finger.

She tried not to react but GLaDOS noticed her looking.

“It’s amazing how....sensitive a human’s skin is.”

Chell tried to ignore the slight shiver and batted GLaDOS’ hand away. The former A.I just smirked and went back to staring at the ceiling. Chell however stayed stiffly working, trying not to show any of that had unnerved her. She was hoping GLaDOS wasn’t going to make a habit of it.

\--

“You’re sure they won’t be looking for you?” GLaDOS spoke up later that day, during another waiting break. The morning attempt had gotten them a bit further, but not by much. Chell looked over curiously. Who was she talking about?

“I’d say friends but I don’t think you have any of those.”

Why did she bother?

“Were you dating anyone? I’ve heard humans do that sort of thing.”

The silence was long as Chell looked at her. Waiting for the insult. However GLaDOS just looked curious. Chell sighed, she hated it when GLaDOS seemed to change personalities. GLaDOS insulting her she was used to. GLaDOS interested in her life in a non insulting way she wasn’t.

She shook her head.

“I didn’t think so.”

Ah, okay then. Delayed insults, she could deal with th-…actually that wasn’t much of an insult.

“They probably were scared off when you tried to murder them.”

There it was.

Chell just stayed quiet.

If there was one thing she hated most about GLaDOS’ new form was her ability to move quietly. Chell was jumpy as hell from being trapped in Aperture for so much of her life, but GLaDOS always seemed to be able to get the drop on her. Like now as she moved around and leaned her head on Chell’s shoulder.

“Of course if you’re not attracted to any of them...”

Chell was still as GLaDOS sat behind her.

She didn’t understand why GLaDOS was doing this. There was one idea in the back of her mind, but it was ridiculous. She wasn’t a real person, she was an AI. She didn’t-

“I knew you weren’t normal.” The voice was low and deeply amused. “Most people aren’t attracted to _Artificial_ Life after all.” She leaned back at that, smug smile still on her face.

The implications in her words cause Chell to look over at her in what she hoped was a ‘you have got to be kidding me look’. It didn’t seem to shake the woman’s expression though so Chell spoke up.

“I’m not.”

“Of course not.”

“....you’re so full of yourself.”

“So, I’m wrong?” Her voice suddenly sounded a bit strange there but Chell ignored it.

“Yes.”

“I don't think so. That’s why you were moaning in your sleep. ...You say such interesting things....”

Chell froze. Meanwhile GLaDOS leaned back and waved a hand. Suddenly formal again.

“Quite frankly I should be the insulted one here. I mean really. You did murder me after all. That just makes things even more disturbing don’t you think?”

Chell didn’t’ know what to say. Those dreams…they were just dreams. They didn’t mean anything. Nothing. Her face dropped the confused look and just looked at her. She didn’t even need to say anything. “Why are you telling me this” was clear on her face.

“I just thought I’d bring your attention to it.” GLaDOS replied, smile back as she got up. Walking past Chell to go back to work.

In other words, she’d found something else she could torment Chell with.

.....she was going to have to do something.

Chell honestly couldn’t say she’d thought of GLaDOS as a ....sexual creature. She was an A.I, human body or not and Chell was well aware of this....random dreams aside.

And then she remembered something. The way the tone of GLaDOS’ voice had changed as she’d talked. If this had just been to irritate or unnerve her it should have stayed the same smug tone the entire time. But she’d gone from back and forth from smug to formal and at one point....Chell wasn’t sure what one of those was, but possibly, unnerved herself?

GLaDOS was freaked out by sleeping, eating. Anything too human in fact. And the idea that Chell might be attracted to her...

Chell smirked. Well then.

\--

She got lucky and GLaDOS spent most of the night working on a computer. By the time she fell into bed, it was only because Chell had eventually felt guilty and went to drag her there. You could tell she was exhausted because she just mumbled something under her breath about humans and their need for sleep before she got up and followed Chell back to the make shift bed where she pretty much just passed out the moment her head touched the pile

It took Chell a little longer to get to sleep, slightly afraid of what she might dream about thanks to the day’s conversation. However soon she was too tired to care and her eyes closed, sending her into a deep sleep.

-

She woke up to an empty bed. This was good because after the dream she’d had last night she didn’t want to look GLaDOS in the face for a while.

Clearly being trapped in such close conditions with the woma…A.I, was starting to give her even worse nightmares. She didn’t have to dwell on them though. It was-

“Another interesting dream.”

A voice tickled the back of her neck and Chell decided she had the worst luck.

She stayed still as GLaDOS leaned in behind her.

This was just a weird game to the A.I. Trying to faze her.

Chell tried to ignore the fingers now being run down the back of her neck but couldn’t hold back a slight shiver as the woman’s fingers ran over her shoulder.

GLaDOS chuckled and continued to let her hands roam. Chell sat there stiffly wondering why she didn’t just get up and leave.

Because you’re enjoying this. A treacherous thought yelled at her from the back of her mind as GLaDOS stroked her cheek with a thumb. It was enough to get Chell to jerk her head forward and turn around to face the smirking AI. Her own expression had shifted into a glare.

“Oh don’t give me that look.” The AI replied, clearly not fazed at all by Chell’s expression.

Chell looked at her and then decided to test out a theory. She stopped glaring and just pretended to look curious. She then put her hand on the woman’s knee. Sure enough a flicker of confusion passed across the woman’s face. There was something else there but Chell couldn’t name it. She moved her hand away, slowly though and watched GLaDOS’ reaction. The confusion came back.

“Look. I’m flattered. Well no, the word would probably be disturbed.” GLaDOS continued, her previous attitude abandoned quickly. It was Chell’s turn to smirk.

“What are you smiling about? I already told you, you’re insane. Now you’re attracted to a computer. Do you know how wrong that is? Because I’ll say it again, there’s something _wrong_ with you-”

GLaDOS had unnerved her and now she got the chance to do the same. Yes, it may have started due to many factors but it certainly continued due to stubbornness.

Stubbornness and the need of both women to one up each other.

So, driven by stubbornness and her own annoyed feelings of being toyed with, Chell leaned forward and cut off GLaDOS’ rant by kissing her.

The AI froze immediately and for a moment Chell was vindicated. However after the pause and before Chell could move away, GLaDOS had wrapped an arm around her and was deepening the kiss.

This hadn’t been supposed to happen. However she wasn’t about to let GLaDOS win, whatever this was. So with only slightly shaking hands she leaned into the other woman and soon her hand was wrapped in the woman’s hair as they kissed.

The kiss turned into a battle for dominance, actual logic forgotten as they continued. A warm haze flooded Chell’s mind and slight gasp escaped her lips as a cold hand found its way up the back of her shirt.

She took that as a challenge. And when she found herself on her back with a hand slipping up the front of her tank top this time, she realized GLaDOS did as well. They both played to win after all.

\--

You’d think by now one of them would realize what happened when they got competitive. At least neither of them was dead this time. Though, Chell was starting to wonder if she should worry about that possibility.

Chell put her tank top back on, ignoring the water running in the bathroom nearby. GLaDOS had not taken their actions well and after getting her own clothes back on had just glared at Chell and made a spiteful comment about human sexual urges overriding logic. Chell meanwhile was still trying to come to terms with the idea that any of that just happened. She rubbed her neck where a small mark was starting to show, her face reddened as she remembered how it got there.

Logic was slowly coming back to her now and she was starting to realize what a terrible, terrible idea that had probably been. Even though she never remembered actually coming up with the idea and things kind of just escalated as they went along.

She looked over as GLaDOS walked back into the room. She was drying her hands and not looking at Chell.

This probably wasn’t a good sign.

She realized it wasn’t, as GLaDOS ignored her and walked into the next room. She decided to wait awhile before going in to what was hopefully not her death. Instead she just fixed the bed, and wandered in the other direction, trying not to remember the past hour or so. It didn’t work well.

\--

Chell stared at GLaDOS who was typing away on another computer. Something was definitely wrong because GLaDOS was being the quiet one for once. Eventually though the staring annoyed her enough to look over.

“What do you want?”

Chell just looked at her. Really, what did she think she was here about?

GLaDOS did not look pleased but turned back to her screen.

“You know what. I’ve got a wonderful idea. That didn’t happen. In fact it never happened. At all.”

She should probably just agree.

“It did.”

GLaDOS stopped typing.

“I suppose you find this funny don’t you. You and your stupid human urges. This is all, your fault.”

Chell raised an eyebrow.

“And this stupid human body I’m trapped in. That’s all. Now stop looking at me like that because it’s never going to happen again.”

Chell wasn’t even aware she was looking at her in a certain way.

She left then because GLaDOS was starting to get irritated to the point of doing something dangerous and because she wasn’t sure what to say anyway. So she walked around the parts of the labs they had access to and tried to ignore the small voice yelling at her in her mind that she’d just had sex with an A.I. The very same A.I who had tried to kill her multiple times.

Because she’d like to pretend that hadn’t happened.

And it wasn’t working.

\--

Late, late that night she’d eventually gone back. GLaDOS was sleeping already. A new thing as she hadn’t even had to be dragged away from her computers. Eventually Chell walked over to the bed and lay down with her back to the woman. She’d like to pretend that it was just the random person’s body she was attracted to. Somehow that would be better, but as she remembered GLaDOS’ low sensual voice and her darkly amused laugh and realized that it wasn’t the case. 

.....there really was something wrong with her.

The worst part was she actually felt bad a bit bad for her. This woman...A.I was afraid of going to sleep…even if she wouldn’t admit it. Even if she had enjoyed teasing Chell, and had escalated it herself, things had gotten out of hand.

She risked a look over at the sleeping woman.

Chell supposed they could just pretend nothing had happened. Nothing important had happened in GLaDOS' mind it seemed, so that should be fine. As long as GLaDOS didn’t try to kill her to erase evidence or something.

\--

Thankfully she had a dreamless sleep that night.

Waking up she glanced over to see GLaDOS was gone. Chell wasn’t worried, it wasn’t like the woman could go anywhere. So she just got up, ate and continued with her work. She couldn’t help much with coding, they only had one computer that was powerful enough to even reach the rest of the facility so she was making sure they had enough food to survive.

She was just walking over to a table when she heard someone come up behind her. She turned, just in time to be shoved against the wall.

GLaDOS was glaring at her as she held her against the wall, one hand around her throat. Chell froze and mentally started to yell at herself, why had she let her guard down?

“You…” GLaDOS almost spit out. “It’s always you. **Always.** Everything that ever goes wrong in my life is because of _you_.”

Chell stayed silent.

“First you kill me, then you put that little idiot in charge of the facility and then you lead those men here. Now _this_.”

Chell looked at the woman. She wasn’t strangling her at the moment. But her hand was shaking.

“What is wrong with you?” The woman narrowed her eyes. “What is it about you?” She just continued to stare at the woman. Chell wasn’t sure she was even talking to her anymore.

GLaDOS let go of her throat and Chell breathed in quickly before GLaDOS could try to actually strangle her. She wasn’t going to die that easily. But she didn’t need to as GLaDOS just let her hand drop. The anger dropped from her face and she just looked blank.

“I …don’t understand you…” She said slowly, more to herself. “… _why_ did I enjoy that?”

Chell blinked at the implications but before she could say anything, GLaDOS leaned forward till she was mere inches away from her face.

“What is it _about_ you?”

Chell just stayed quiet.

“I can’t stop thinking about it. It makes no sense. There’s no reason other than this _stupid, human,_ body. …and if that’s the case then why can’t I _ignore_ it.”

They continued to stand there, Chell with her back against the wall and GLaDOS staring closely at her, as though she could find the answers she was looking for in Chell’s expression.

Then she took a step back. Chell watched her carefully, not moving. The woman was standing there and-

Her thoughts were cut off as GLaDOS kissed her. It was a quick kiss though and Chell didn’t even have time to be shocked before GLaDOS turned and stormed off.

So she just stood there, watching the woman in confusion and she had to wonder. What....was going on with her life?

-

Late that night Chell wasn’t sure if GLaDOS was going to hide from her forever. She herself was sitting on the bed at the moment and trying to make sense of things. So far it wasn’t going well. She was brought out of her thoughts when she realized she wasn’t alone. GLaDOS had walked over and was sitting next to her. Chell looked over with a curious look as GLaDOS spoke up. Her voice was stiff, formal and slightly annoyed.

“I’ve come to the conclusion that there are enough _human_ memories in my system that when added to this physical form, result in something that might be labelled as affection and sexual interest in you.”

Chell blinked. GLaDOS however was looking at something of interest on the wall off to the side.

There was something....odd about her expression.

She looked...nervous? Annoyed? ....something odd.

Chell tried to keep back a smirk…which was surprisingly easy and it also easily changed into a smile as she patted GLaDOS on the shoulder. The A.I looked over at her.

“This doesn’t change anything though. This is still a temporary partnership till we get out of here and I can kick you out again.”

Chell just shook her head with an amused look. Some things would never change.

GLaDOS flicked her on the forehead.

“I really think you are brain damaged. It would certainly explain a lot.”

Chell rolled her eyes.

Hardly the most mature response but then again, this was GLaDOS she was dealing with and that insult was old by now.

“Maybe if you tried talking you might get your point across better. It’s no wonder you have so many friends....oh wait. You don’t.” However she yawned after that and Chell pointed behind her to the clock that was now reading 1:13am.

“I’m not tired.”

Chell raised an eyebrow and pointed at the bed. GLaDOS looked down and then back to Chell.

“If that supposed to be your attempt to seduce me, it’s rather pathetic.”

Chell just looked at her with a dull expression. Hilarious.

“Fine.” GLaDOS sighed and turned to lie down on the bed. A small satisfied smirk later, Chell lay down next to her and closed her eyes. It wasn’t long till the two of them were fast asleep.

-

This time she didn’t freeze in terror when she woke up very early to find GLaDOS’ arm wrapped tightly around her. Instead she just left it there and closed her eyes, going back to sleep.

Some things do change.

Even if she was now going to have to seduce an A.I just to prove a point.


End file.
